It like to have killed us all. But nary a one took it as hard as Idgie. Everyone thought she'd die right along with him. Night after night, she stayed by the river. Big George was the only soul she'd let near her, and he watched over her night and day. You know, a heart can be broken, but it still keeps a-beating just the same.

Buddy: I didn't tell you bout the oysters? Think about all the millions of oysters lying around on the bottom of the ocean. Then one day, God comes along and he says, "I think I'm gonna make that one different." and you know what he does? he puts a little piece of sand in it. and guess what it can do that the others can't.

Idgie: What?

Buddy: It can make a beautiful pearl.

Idgie: What if God made a mistake?

Buddy: Well, the way I figure it, he never makes mistakes. I mean, he made sure we got together. He made sure you got the best-looking most charming brother in the world!

Evelyn: [tearfully confiding her troubles to Ninny] I can't even look at my own vagina!

Ninny: Now,I'm afraid I can't help you with that one.

Evelyn: Ed... If I'd answered the door wearing only cellophane, would you still be watching the baseball game?

Ed: No, honey, I'd probably be checking you into a loony bin.

Idgie: It's a boy!

Reverend Scroggins: I think a little prayer of thanksgiving would be in order.

Idgie (jubilant): God dammit to hell, son of a bitch, she did it! Here's to Ruth.

Idgie: He won't even sit in the same room and have a meal today.

Sipsey: Oh, it don't make no kind of sense. A big old ox like Grady won't sit next to a coloured child, but he eats eggs... shoots right out of a chicken's ass.

Evelyn: I never get mad, Mrs Threadgoode. Never. The way I was raised, it was bad manners. Well, I got mad.. and it felt terrific! I felt like I could beat the shit out of all those punks. Excuse my language. Just beat 'em to a pulp. beat 'em till they begged for mercy! Towanda the avenger. And after I wipe out all the punks of this world, I'll take on the wife-beaters, like Frank Bennett, and machine-gun their genitals! Towanda will go on the rampage. I'll put tiny little bombs in Penthouse and Playboy so they'll explode when you open them. And I'll ban all fashion models who weigh less than 130 pounds. And I'll give half the military budget to people of 65 and declare wrinkles sexually desirable. Towanda, righter of wrongs, queen beyond compare!

Ninny: How many of them hormones are you taking, honey?

Idgie: I can't believe he swore on the bible.

Ruth: Well, not really. If that judge had looked any closer, he'd have seen it was really a copy of Moby Dick.

Ruth: I love your stories. Tell me a story, Idgie. Go on, you old bee charmer. Tell me a good tall tale. Tell me the one about the lake.

Idgie: What lake?

Ruth: The one that use to be here.

Idgie: Well, that was just a lie.

Ruth: I know that, fool. Tell me anyway. Tell me a story.

Idgie: Uh, one time... there was this lake... And it was right outside of town. We used to go fishing and swimming and canoein' in it. And, uh, see, one November, this big flock of ducks came in.. and landed on that lake. And then the temperature dropped so fast that the lake just froze right there. And they... er... the ducks... they... flew off, you see, and they took that lake right with them. Now they say that lake is somewhere over in Georgia. Can you imagine that?

Idgie: [Walks over to Ruth, sobbing]

Sipsey: It's okay, honey. Let her go...let her go. You know, Ruth was a lady, and a lady always knows when to leave.